The Vaudeville Star

“Yes, sir. My name is Ruby Mae Sutton. Everyone calls me Ruby.”

“Well, Ruby. You are quite the looker. An ingenue if ever I saw one,” he remarked.

“Ingenue?” she repeated, unsure of the word.

“A young and pretty actress,” Bessie explained.

“What do you do, Ruby?” he said, puffing on his cigar.

“I sing. Though I don’t know if I’m any good,” she admitted.

“Well, let me tell you something, Ruby. A typical vaudeville show has nine acts, but I only have five acts, though the sisters, Bessie here, and Zeta perform twice. Our top billing is Zeta. She is well liked by the audiences, and they come to see her perform. Why, I’ll never know. But there it is.”

“I understand, sir.” Her hopes were dashed. There was no place for her here after all.

Vernon was studying Ruby. “You’re young and fresh. You have a trim figure. Turn around,” he told her.

Ruby flushed pink, but Bessie nodded to do as Vernon asked. Ruby made a small circle and felt uncomfortable as she did it.

“I’ve got an idea,” he said, smiling. “You can be our card girl.”

Bessie smiled, but Ruby was lost. “Card girl? What is that?”

“Simple. Before each act, you’ll come out carrying a card with the next performer’s name.”

“That’s it? That’s all I need to do?” Ruby asked, hopeful again.

“Sure. But you’ll need to wear something nice. Something that shows a bit of leg. Maybe a corset and some stockings.” Vernon smiled, warming to the idea.

“You want me to go out onstage before perfect strangers in my undergarments?” Ruby asked, mortified.

Vernon frowned. “Now you listen to me, missy. My show may not be the best in town, but I have top-notch performers. Zeta may be a pain in my ass, but she has performed in London and Rome, and you have performed absolutely nowhere, correct?”

“Except at Miss Porter’s School,” Ruby whispered.

“Miss Porter’s—oh Christ! Miss Porter’s School! Take it or leave it,” Vernon said before stalking away.

Ruby turned her tear-filled eyes to Bessie. “I can’t go onstage in my chemise and corset!”

“Come on, Ruby. It isn’t all that bad,” Bessie said. “We’ll find you something nice to wear. He just wants you to show a bit of leg to keep the audience from leaving. Sometimes they do in between performances. But you’ll keep them glued to their seat.”

Together, Ruby and Bessie went downstairs to where the costumes were kept.

“You know it isn’t what you think, Ruby. Everyone wears less clothing onstage. That’s part of the reason we stay afloat. Wait until you see what the Hungarian sisters wear; you’ll be shocked. And even me, my dress shows my ankles, and Zeta wears revealing dresses. It’s what they want to see,” Bessie explained. “A little flash of skin, it doesn’t hurt anyone.”

They found a striking dress that had a tight corset with off-the-shoulder sleeves, and though the skirt was long in the back, it opened in the front to reveal her knees and ankles. Ruby felt naked, but Bessie was pleased.

“It’s perfect, Ruby! It shows off your small waist and legs, but not too much.” Bessie smiled.

“Not too much?” Ruby looked at herself in the mirror, entirely unconvinced.

The material was striped pink and white satin with the corset nipping in her already small waist. The off-the-shoulder sleeves were attractive, but her legs were completely bare from the knees down, though the skirt protected her backside all the way to the floor.

“Let’s show Vern. He has final say on all costumes,” Bessie said.

Vernon smiled broadly when Ruby walked in wearing the satin gown. “Oh yes! That is perfect, sweetheart. What did you say your name was?”

“Ruby, sir.”